The Education of Obama And America (Ongoing)

We learn something new every day. Today we learned that Facebook and Twitter are for ISIS recruiting and boasting, not actual national security work.

One week ago, Obama delivered an Oval Office address meant to reassure an American public shocked by the ISIS-inspired husband and wife terror killings in San Bernardino. His gist: He developed a plan fourteen months ago, the results are visible on the blood-stained streets of Paris and San Bernardino, so we are staying the course. Oh, and since ISIS is here and we can't stop them, law-abiding citizens should turn in their guns.

He phrased it differently, and included this detail:

"And we constantly examine our strategy to determine when additional steps are needed to get the job done. That’s why I’ve ordered the Departments of State and Homeland Security to review the visa waiver program under which the female terrorist in San Bernardino originally came to this country."

Seems like a good idea. Oh, but wait - a correction came out an hour after the speech. The President mentioned the wrong visa program, but otherwise he and his team are on top of it.

The visa waiver program relates to 38 sensible countries such as the UK and Australia for whom no visa is required for visits of up to 90 days.

Bride of Jihad entered under the K-1 program, described by the LA Times as follows:

The K1 visa is a previously obscure program reserved for foreign men and women intending to marry a U.S. citizen. Authorities now probing Wednesday’s massacre as a terrorist attack have said K1 applicants, like other visa applicants, undergo an extensive counterterrorism screening that includes checks based on fingerprints and facial recognition software.

High tech! Extensive!

And now, a week having gone by, the NY Times reports this:

U.S. Visa Process Missed San Bernardino Wife’s Zealotry on Social Media

By MATT APUZZO, MICHAEL S. SCHMIDT and JULIA PRESTON  DEC. 12, 2015

WASHINGTON — Tashfeen Malik, who with her husband carried out the massacre in San Bernardino, Calif., passed three background checks by American immigration officials as she moved to the United States from Pakistan. None uncovered what Ms. Malik had made little effort to hide — that she talked openly on social media about her views on violent jihad.

She said she supported it. And she said she wanted to be a part of it.

American law enforcement officials said they recently discovered those old — and previously unreported — postings as they pieced together the lives of Ms. Malik and her husband, Syed Rizwan Farook, trying to understand how they pulled off the deadliest terrorist attack on American soil since Sept. 11, 2001.

Had the authorities found the posts years ago, they might have kept her out of the country. But immigration officials do not routinely review social media as part of their background checks, and there is a debate inside the Department of Homeland Security over whether it is even appropriate to do so.

"Appropriate"? Those jihadist wanna-bes have privacy rights too, you know! Not under US law, since they are aliens, but under some Universal Law of Political Correctness, or something. More importantly, who has time to read?

The discovery of the old social media posts has exposed a significant — and perhaps inevitable — shortcoming in how foreigners are screened when they enter the United States, particularly as people everywhere disclose more about themselves online. Tens of millions of people are cleared each year to come to this country to work, visit or live. It is impossible to conduct an exhaustive investigation and scour the social media accounts of each of them, law enforcement officials say.

Wait, "tens of millions" come here each year? How many come on the K-1 program for spouses-to-be? Per Wikipedia, about 40,000 per year, two orders of magnitude less than "tens of millions". Whatever - presumably the Times sources were hardworking intelligence officials trying to avoid a complete collapse of public confidence.

And the implications for the K-1 program?

The Obama administration is trying to determine whether those background checks can be expanded without causing major delays in the popular program. In an attempt to ensure they did not miss threats from men and women who entered the country the same way Ms. Malik did, immigration officials are also reviewing all of about 90,000 K-1 visas issued in the past two years and are considering a moratorium on new ones while they determine whether changes should be made.

“Somebody entered the United States through the K-1 visa program and proceeded to carry out an act of terrorism on American soil,” the White House spokesman, Josh Earnest, said on Thursday. “That program is at a minimum worth a very close look.”

A closer look and a possible moratorium. Obviously that moratorium would apply to everyone, not just Muslims, but still - Trump's hate-filled kookiness on Monday, when he said these visa programs need to be put on pause for Muslims while Congress sorts them out, is headed in the direction of becoming Administration policy a few days later.

For folks still puzzling over Trump's appeal: If you take him literally, he is nuts. Just for example, Mexico will not be building a wall and paying for it, nor are they deliberately sending their rapist to the US.

But taken metaphorically, Trump's message is "We need greater border security and I will knock heads to provide it". That resonates, and arguing about the height of the wall, whether it should be concrete or barbed wire and whether it will be paid for by the US or Mexico misses the point.

 

Comments

[Miss Marple 2]

When is the CNN debate?

I want to make sure that I get enough wine to make me able to tolerate Kasich.

[Jeff Dobbs]

Momto2:
Typical - weather forecast says rain coming into Atlanta at mid-morning (after 10) - it's 7 a.m. and pouring down.

Last night was our neighborhood's luminary night. Perfect weather. Standing out in the driveway afterward, a neighbor mentioned that it was supposed to rain.

Rolled the dice and left the bags and candles out overnight. Well, it did rain, but barely a sprinkle, so while the bags were a little soggy, a little saggy, they weren't too bad. Only a couple broke when I picked them up this morning.

Here's one of Santa's elves handing out candy to the kids from a local fire truck...

[Captain Hate on the iPhone]

NK is listening to Mike and Mike

[Miss Marple 2]

http://news.investors.com/politics-andrew-malcolm/121415-785118-obama-delusions-imperil-national-security.htm

[Miss Marple 2]

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/6802872/Teacher-stabbed-in-Paris-by-ISIS-attacker.html?CMP=spklr-_-Editorial-_-TWITTER-_-TheSunNewspaper-_-20151214-_-News-_-303867001-_-Imageandlink

[Jeff Dobbs]

Miss Marple:
They're having a national security meeting about ISIS today.

Well we all know how this goes...

[Captain Hate on the iPhone]

It must be torture for 404 to have to pretend to be interested in security matters and rely on brainless dipshits like Fallows to defend him.

[Marlene]

Jeff@8:20...we have so many memories of lighting luminaries in our neighborhood up north. Luminary sales were a fundraiser for the band and the daughter was a top seller! Ha. She told the older folks on our street, don't worry Dad will light the luminaries on Christmas Eve!
Hubby and I were remarking about the unusual warmth here for this time of year. I said,there were many Christmas Eves when we tried to light luminaries in the rain and wind. But,there were many Christmas Eves lighting luminaries in the bone chilling cold.
Good times!

[Miss Marple 2]

ISIS has made a fatal miscalculation:

http://www.eutimes.net/2015/12/isis-issues-fatwa-calling-for-mass-killing-of-american-dogs-and-puppies/

I checked and I am pretty sure this is true.

Seriously, I can't think of anything to mobilize the country more than this.

[NK]

yes I did hear than on ESPN radio.

[James D]

NK, is the answer Ken Stabler?

[Miss Marple 2]

Actually, I don't care if that story is true or not. I want to see Josh Earnest have to deny it or tell people not too be alarmed because there is only a slight chance...

[henry]

MissM, they are trying to starve Obama.

[Janet]

from the Investors link -
"Last week Obama's U.N. Ambassador, Samantha Power, was asked in a Senate committee hearing what action the administration has taken about the obvious Iranian violations. She said it had presented the case to the U.N. where there had been "multiple discussions."

"Discussions are a form of U.N. action," Power explained."

Here's what Samantha is DOING. Making videos -

http://www.gossipcop.com/caitlyn-jenner-ambassador-samantha-power-transgender-united-nations-video/

[Janet]

from the Investors link -
"Last week Obama's U.N. Ambassador, Samantha Power, was asked in a Senate committee hearing what action the administration has taken about the obvious Iranian violations. She said it had presented the case to the U.N. where there had been "multiple discussions."

"Discussions are a form of U.N. action," Power explained."

Here's what Samantha is DOING. Making videos -

http://www.gossipcop.com/caitlyn-jenner-ambassador-samantha-power-transgender-united-nations-video/

[Janet]

sorry. I don't know how that happens.

[henry]

Discussions are actions? by that logic, drinking beer is paying taxes. send me a refund.

[Janet]

Mired in nonsense.

[buccaneer morgan]

Not enough alcohol in the world, as you see from 8Dr. Bostum.

[Buckeye]

ISIS starts killing puppies and dogs in the south and Bubba will be stacking up dead jihadis like cord wood.

[Captain Hate on the iPhone]

That was my guess, James; more recent.

[NK]

JamesD- too harsh, too harsh.

[James D]

And I wasn't even trying to be harsh!

I figured it was a trick question, so it had to be somebody from a long time ago.

[Old Lurker]

Heart of the Sea has been a big big deal on Nantucket, so Mrs. L and I went to the first showing last week. I had re read the book just recently, and Mrs. L had not read it since it came out.

She sort of liked the movie, say 3 of 5.

I did not like much at all it since I thought it was all about the CG and other tricks, with no development of 1) the characters in a normal ship setting (Master & Commander type stuff), 2) the characters as they evolved in the amazing survival part of the story, 3) the navigation technology and fights they had deciding where to go and how bad the outcome of those decisions turned out to be, 4) hell, they didn't even do much to explain the mechanics of whaling itself.

To cap it all off, the final indignity for me was the characterization of the Evil Capitalists, in this case the mega rich ship owners and how little they cared about "truth" and matters of honor and community.

I would like my time and money back, please.

[NK]

BTW-- Jenner was a cuter looking dude than he is post- surgery. Not that there is anything wrong with that.

[NK]

OL-- thanks for the movie review. I'd never heard of the book. Shame Ron Howard did such a poor job, he's been real good with period details (Apollo 13, Rush etc.)

[Captain Hate on the iPhone]

The UN flapping their ignorant gums is the best possible outcome; remember the Bosnian "safe areas" that conveniently created one concentrated target?

[NK]

BTW-- I wish for another Master & Commander film or TV series. What a magnificent film that was.

[Old Lurker]

We here all know I sit out here on the ledge with James and a few close friends and contemplate the demise of the world around us. I often draw parallels to the story told in Atlas Shrugged where things that used to work just all started to break down. Who is John Galt.

I used to think that the US Military had avoided a lot of that but we all have bemoaned the demonization of the warrior leaders and the substitution of blood n guts leaders for empty suits and PCness.

This seems to be a story Ayn Rand would have written:

" The USS Milwaukee, an advanced littoral combat ship and the most recent vessel launched by the U.S. Navy, lasted less than three weeks in the water before a problem involving metal filings in its lubrication oil caused it to suffer a “complete loss of propulsion.” The $362 million ship had to be towed into port for repairs."

[Captain Hate on the iPhone]

Opie's been out of Mayberry too long. OL echoed the criticisms of Michael Phillips, one of the reviewers who took over from fat Egbert.

[Old Lurker]

NK, the book is a good read.

[henry]

Well, flat out lying works for Hillary. GAB says it was not involved in John Doe so won't release records of how much it spent hiring an investigator and special prosecutor for the John Doe.

[Jeff Dobbs]

OL:
before a problem involving metal filings in its lubrication oil caused it to suffer a “complete loss of propulsion.”

Probably because the "lubrication oil" was changed to flaxseed in order to be more "sustainable".

[Buckeye]

OL

I have a friend who is a Navy Electronics Warfare guy in Newport News area.

He sent me a clip over the weekend about the USS Milwaukee. This would not have been allowed to happen even 20 years ago.

Not a good omen.

[Rick Ballard]

JMH,

Romney was very successful in applying the HBS value recognition modeling in his salvage business. I don't believe he ever demonstrated the ability to transfer his skill and acumen in salvage to identifying and supporting the innovation necessary to maintain the increases in productivity necessary to maintain economic growth nor does his tenure as governor of Massachusetts give evidence of recognition of regulation as choking growth nor did Romneycare provide evidence of recognition of the Sorerer's Apprentice problem when "solving" problems by imposing burdens.

I voted for him but only as the lesser weevil, not because of any faith in his ability to transfer skill as a salvage operation operator to governance. His tenure as governor demonstrated the mismatch in ability in that respect.

[Janet]

Never Let Me Go ...just want to say that it is a very good movie. Very thought provoking.
No CGI. A touching story.

[Captain Hate on the iPhone]

The John Doe thing is another reason Trump is so popular because the shitheads involved with that need to go to jail for long periods of time but the GOPe will always bend over for the sake of comity. Unlike Scooter Libby these are very bad people who deserve to be hung by the neck.

[Old Lurker]

Ditto that, every word, Rick.

[buccaneer morgan]

Prime minister zoollander strikes again, but this is apparently the blanc mange they are looking for.

[henry]

Corrupt is as corrupt does. Milwaukee County Board votes to fund DA Chisolm's appeal to the US Supremes. Chisolm has until Friday to appeal (or the WI Supremes crack down on him).

Meanwhile union funded Kloppenburg is complaining about big money and partisanship in WI SC races (no link... picture to scary for a Monday morning... resembles Medussa).

[sbw]

Henry, when do they put the GAB in jail for contempt of court?

[sbw]

Momto2, teaching literature is SO much more valuable when put in context with the events of the day.

In 1851, Dickens’ A Christmas Carol was a more useful response than the writings of Karl Marx ever were, putting the excesses of industrial commercialization in social context so citizens could factor that in to their actions.

[Miss Marple 2]

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/columnists/joe_fitzgerald/2015/12/fitzgerald_longtime_cab_driver_has_nightly_view_of_hub_s

Cabdriver says he sees more homeless than he ever has, so how can the city bring in refugees?

[sbw]

[Gloria Steinem says men regress to childhood when they see a powerful woman like Hillary.]

Her mouth is moving but she isn’t making any sense.

[henry]

sbw, I don't know. Maybe they are waiting for Medussa to lose again in April, maybe they need the 7th Circuit to reconsider stripping the DAs et al of their immunity. Don't hold your breath.

[henry]

I'd link this Elf Name thing, but am afraid of what Jeff might do with it.

[Miss Marple 2]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3358625/Inside-Britain-s-Sharia-courts-EIGHTY-FIVE-Islamic-courts-dispensing-justice-UK-special-investigation-really-goes-doors-shock-core.html#ixzz3uJ3cdjTU

[Captain Hate on the iPhone]

What has Gloria Steinem ever done besides being a Playboy bunny? She seems like the type of airhead Hef likes.

[Marlene]

In other Navy news... the $4.3B stealth destroyer Zumwalt,recently launched from Bath Iron Works,assisted the Coast Guard in the rescue of a fishing boat captain who was having chest pains. The Zumwalt was conducting sea trials 40 nautical miles from Portland and sent a small boat to the fishing boat,transferred the man to the Zumwalt,where the Coast Guard airlifted him to Portland. The captain wouldn't give local media an interview,but thanked the Navy and Coast Guard and said on his Facebook page
"that was me who got rescued by the new stealth destroyer."
Your tax dollars at work,in a good way.

[NK]

Muslim no-go zones and Sharia courts ignoring British civil law are the acts on the ground in the UK (and most of western europe) they are ugly truths, but truths nonetheless, no matter what that public school boy prat David Cameron says.

[Marlene]

Elf name: Merry Angel Pants.

[Threadkiller]

http://m.therightscoop.com/morning-joe-lifelong-republicans-say-theyll-vote-for-hillary-over-cruz-or-trump/

They hate one for being a real conservative and the other for being a fake conservative?

[jimmyk on iPhone]

This is why it's hard to have a Paris-like terrorist event in Israel: Lots of good people with guns.

http://www.frontpagemag.com/point/261117/good-israeli-guy-wa-gun-stops-bad-muslim-terrorist-daniel-greenfield

[buccaneer morgan]

Ked topple does it again.

[Captain Hate on the iPhone]

If somebody knows a bunch of turncoat RINOs, it would be the intern killer.

[FTL]

GOPe thinks they can do better on fundraising--both campaign donations and nakedly raiding the treasury--with a democrat in the white house.

They were too dense or greedy to figure out that there is more to running a long con than stringing together an endless series of short ones.

[FTL]

Speaking of "nakedly," nood.

[James D]

I love that these "lifelong Republicans" mentioned in TK's link won't sit the election out, or vote third party - they'll actually vote for Hillary.

That's really all you need to know about them.

And, yes, I've said before I won't vote for Jeb! if he's the nominee, and I stand by that, but I certainly won't protest him by voting for a Dem.

[Thomas Collins]

Re Mittster as Mass. Guv: Keep in mind that he was dealing with a legislative tilt resembling the Soviet Union's legislative body.

[Captain Hate on the iPhone]

The Bush family is more comfortable with the Clintons than the Palins.

[Janet]

THat Sharia court link makes me think of the campus rape tribunals here.

"...Britain’s Sharia courts are fostering extremism, undermining human rights and creating a parallel justice system whose basic principles conflict with the law of the land."

[JMHanes]

daddy:

If seeing the movie counts, I've got bundles of Brit bestsellers under my belt.

If actual reading is involved, I weigh in at 23. I haven't even heard of around the same number of books/authors.

[James D]

That's a great point, Janet!

I hadn't thought of it before, but it's really very similar. The campus rape kangaroo courts really do hit every one of those items:

Fostering extremism? Check
Undermining human rights? Check
Basic principles conflict with the law of the land? Check again

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

--The Bush family is more comfortable with the Clintons than the Palins.--

Half of that PJ O'Rourke column I linked was him calling every GOP candidate insane save for Rubio who is only halfway there, while the other half was him getting a bit weepy, wishing for the return of the rapist BillyJeff who bestowed on us a shrunken military, a stock market crash for the ages, the normalization of utter and open corruption in office and 9/11.

[sbw]

I have read 24.

[Buckeye]

Now that I see how well read the JOMers are, I understand why your spelling and grammar are better than mine.

My English Literature teaching mother tried her best, but I much preferred being outside with a ball or a bike and my buddies.

[jimmyk]

I've read 15 1/2. (I started "Vanity Fair" while back but got sidetracked and only got halfway through. Plan to finish it though.) I have read about 10 of the top 20. The list gets a bit iffy after that, IMO. How is "Gulliver's Travels" only #55 behind some Zadie Smith that no one will read 100 years from now?

[Captain Hate on the iPhone]

I'll count how many I've read later, if at all, but the omission of Brideshead Revisited is a fatal flaw of the eggheads the Beeb employed.

[Captain Hate on the iPhone]

Vanity Fair is outstanding; I envy you getting to read the rest for the first time.

[Old Lurker]

Hey Marlene, "In other Navy news... the $4.3B stealth destroyer Zumwalt, recently launched from Bath Iron Works,"

Not to be picky, but the Zumwalt was still "owned and operated by" Bath Iron Works while on sea trials, not yet accepted and commissioned by the US Navy, right?

That means private money and management, vs unaccountable government drones.

[Captain Hate on the iPhone]

Whoever chose Wide Sargasso Sea should be drawn and quartered. Possession is an inspired choice; Antonia Byatt spoke at John Carroll a few years ago and gave a good answer to a question I asked, when none of the deadbeat students could be bothered to ask her anything and I was feeling embarrassed for her (plus I have a big mouth), about the film adaptation of it and another work.

[Captain Hate on the iPhone]

28

[jimmyk]

Captain, I vaguely recall you praising Vanity Fair here, which was part of what got me going on it. Also, I've read a few on that list in the past year inspired by my daughter, who reads literature like crazy at age 14. She's read about a dozen on the list in the past year, not for school.

[Captain Hate on the iPhone]

Your daughter's tastes are excellent particularly for her age. You can almost never go wrong by reading a classic, allowing for personal tastes.

[Momto2]

sbw - I agree wholeheartedly! At my school our literature tracks what they are studying in history. History is broken into 4 time periods so if they attend for 4 years, they will have it all. This year it's from the Reformation to the Romantic period.

I'm looking forward to discussing Dickens with them!

[Jack is Back! (On Alert!)]

OL,

Philbrick is a great storyteller of sailing and history. I believe he is a Nantucket guy. I have read most of his books, incuding Bunker Hill.

NK,

Well, after yesterday, we know it isn't A. J. McCarron. But then that type of question really calls out the BS of trying to compare the NFL to college ball, as if you are successful at a school like Bama you will be the same in the pros. We are talking expotential, quantum differences of skill, focus, discipline and thought process.

IOW, who cares?

[Momto2]

jimmyk - Bravo to you daughter. Question: What book (s) are you giving her for Christmas? Be sure to write an inscription!

I recommend that to everyone, especially grandparents. Let at least one of your gifts be a nice, hardback copy of a classic and write a personal note (and date) inside.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PTno5THOXo

[Momto2]

JIB - I wanted to say congratulations on Derrick Henry's win! I love his sweet little grandmother.

P.S. You may not remember I am an Auburn alum :)

[Publius]

To TK's point, if the 'lifelong' Republicans had put as much effort and energy in defeating Demorats as they are in defeating Trump and Cruz, there might not have been a need for the Tea Party.

[Man Tran]

Momto2,

Don't know if there's any overlap on years attended, but we have a Auburn GRITS pal you would likely know, if there was overlap. Windy P. A Coke (distributer) heiress born and bred in Bama.

[Momto2]

Man Tran - I'm old - I was there in the '70s. I am also at least 2 threads behind so I don't know if you will see this - I just realized I hadn't checked for a new thread... oops!

[pagar a bacon, ham and sausage supporter]

""Discussions are a form of U.N. action," Power explained."

INO, every UN discussion is a total waste of time and money. IMO, we need to get out of the UN now.
----------------------------------------------

"a powerful woman like Hillary." This has to be a joke IMO.